Alabama

Earthquake History

The known seismic history of
Alabama spans about 100 years
for local earthquakes. For shocks
outside the State borders that
caused damaged to cities in
Alabama, the history can be traced to
1811 - 1812, when three great (estimated
magnitude 8 or greater on
the Richter scale) earthquakes
centered in Missouri may have
reached
intensity VII in the
northern and/or central sections.
These gigantic
earthquakes were comparable to
the
San Francisco shock in 1906
and were felt over 2 million square
miles, more than half of the total
area of the United States.

Historical records indicate the
first earthquake of consequence in
Alabama shook residents of Sumter
and Marengo Counties, located in
the western part of the State, on
February 4, 1886. A similar shock
occurred nine days later, on
February 13. Both were reported felt
at communities along the Tombigee
River, but caused no damage.
Only six months later, the destructive
Charleston, South Carolina, shock that
was felt in cities all over the
Eastern United States occurred. This shock,
located about 400 miles east of
Alabama's border, caused minor
damage in the northeastern part of
the State.

In
1916 on October 18, a strong
earthquake occurred on an
unnamed fault east of Birmingham.
It was apparently most strong at
Easonville. Near the epicenter,
chimneys were knocked down,
windows broken, and frame buildings
"badly shaken."
It was noted by residents
in seven States and covered
100,000 square miles.

Another tremor that damaged
the Birmingham area occurred on
April 23, 1957. Centered near the
Tennessee River below Guntersville
Dam, the earthquake shook
residents in southern Tennessee,
western Georgia, and most of
northern and central Alabama.
Earthquake records for that year
state: "Felt by, awakened, and
alarmed many. Minor damage to
several chimneys; one report of
cement steps cracked in two; and
several small cracks in walls.
Table-top items tumbled to the
floor."

A shock centered in
the Huntsville area on August 12,
1959. Though felt over a small
area of southern Tennessee and
northern Alabama, it shook bricks
from chimneys at Hazel Green;
damaged one chimney and a newly
constructed concrete block building
at Meridianville; shook violently
the buildings at New Sharon,
knocking canned goods from
shelves and sending frightened residents
fleeing from their homes; and
cracked plaster and knocked
groceries from shelves at Huntsville.

Additional earthquakes (intensity V
category) listed for this
State that were minor and caused
no damage centered near Rosemary,
western Alabama, in June
1917; in the Scottsboro area
northeast of Huntsville in June 1927;
at Cullman, northern Alabama, in
May 1931; and in the Anniston
area in May 1939.

A strong earthquake in southern Illinois
in November 1968 caused intensity
V effects in several localities
in northern Alabama. The shock
was the strongest in Illinois since
1895, and was felt over a
half-million square miles in
23 States.

1989 Aug 20 00:03 3.9M Intensity VI
Near Littleville, Alabama ( 34.736N 87.6450W )
A Colbert County official reported that, south of Florence between Littleville and Russellville, a basement wall collapsed beneath a house. Only slight damage was reported north of the epicenter at Florence, where windows were cracked and hairline cracks formed in plaster. Also felt in Lauderdale, Lawrence, and Morgan Counties in northwest Alabama and Lawrence County in south-central Tennessee.

[The above summaries were abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological
Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993
and from Preliminary Determinations of Epicenters Monthly Listing.]

For a list of earthquakes that have occurred
since this article was written, use the
Earthquake Search.